China's Tencent rebrands WeChat work app ahead of Trump ban

HONG KONG: Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings has changed the name of its WeChat Work office collaboration app to WeCom, setting it up as a potential alternative to its messaging app WeChat ahead of a U.S. ban.

Tencent, registered the WeCom trademark on Aug. 19, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Two Tencent sources said WeCom does not fall under the scope of a ban on WeChat-related transactions in the United States from Sept. 20, one of a series of a series of U.S. measures cracking down on Chinese tech firms and apps that Washington says are threats to national security.

Tencent declined to comment.

WeChat is an all-in-one mobile app that combines messaging, social media, payment functions and other services. Its so-called super app is all but essential for daily life in China and boasts more than a billion users.

In the United States, WeChat is widely used by Chinese expats and others to communicate with friends and associates in China. It has an average of 19 million daily active users in the United States, according to analytics firm Appto ..